Hydromassage unit for tub mounting

ABSTRACT

A hydromassage unit for mounting on a wall of a tub is provided with clamping means for stabilizing the mounting, the clamping means being provided with laterally spaced individually adjustable bumpers, enabling the clamping means to function when sides of the tub wall are contoured.

nited States Patent [191 Jacuzzi et a1.

HYDROMASSAGE UNIT FOR TUB MOUNTING Inventors: Roy A. Jacuzzi, Moraga; Peter L.

Kosta, Lafayette, both of Calif.

Assignee: Jacuzzi Research Inc., Berkeley,

Calif.

Filed: Sept. 28, 1973 Appl. No.: 401,861

US. Cl. 128/66 Int. Cl A6lh 9/00 Field of Search 128/66; D83/1 C; 4/178,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Podell 128/66 UX Oct. 22, 1974 2,782,425 2/1957 Schroeter 4/178 3,292,615 12/1966 Bascomb et a1. 128/66 D229,36O 11/1973 McNair D83/1 C Primary Examiner-Lawrence W. Trapp [57] ABSTRACT A hydromassage unit for mounting on a wall of a tub is provided with clamping means for stabilizing the mounting, the clamping means being provided with laterally spaced individually adjustable bumpers, enabling the clamping means to function when sides of the tub wall are contoured.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PAIENTED Z Y 3.842.823

' sum 10F 2 PAramanwzawn sum, am 2 HYDROMASSAGE UNIT FOR TUB MOUNTING Our invention relates to hydromassage units and more particularly to one of the type adapted to straddle a wall of a tub for removalbe installation thereon.

Hydromassage units of this type are known, but unless the walls on which they are installed have parallel sides, it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to realize stability of installation. Inasmuch as the operation of a jet head which forms part of such unit, creates substantial reaction forces acting on a moment arm terminating at the location of installation of the hydromassage unit on the tub wall, stability of installation becomes of utmost importance, and this is a practical impossibility with tubs having walls whose innersides are contoured, as a good many are.

Among the objects of our invention are:

1. To provide a novel and improved hydromassage unit of the type adapted for installation in straddling relationship on the wall of a tub;

2. To provide a novel and improved hydromassage unit of the foregoing type, capable of stabilized installation on a tub wall, the side of which may be contoured.

Additional objects of our invention will be brought out in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the same, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein;

FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, disclosing features of the present invention in a hydromassage unit for tub mounting;

FIG. 2 is a plan view looking at the unit of FIG. 1 from the bottom; and

FIG. 3 is a view taken in the plane 33 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings for details of our invention in its preferred form, the hydromassage unit involves a power unit 1 including a power unit housing 3, a pump and jet head assembly 5 including its housing 7, both housing being connected at their upper ends by a bridge 9, the spacing between these housings being more than adequate to permit the hydromassage unit to straddle anytub wall.

The power unit housing enloses an electric drive motor 11 having a vertical drive shaft 13 terminating at its upper end in a mounted pulley 15.

In the pump and jet head assembly housing are installed a pump, preferably of the centrifugal type, which draws water through a screen 19 in the bottom of the housing, and discharges it through an exposed adjustable nozzle 21 forming part of a jet head assembly, all of conventional design.

The pump impeller is horizontally installed with its drive shaft 25 extending vertically in the housing and, like the motor shaft, terminates at its upper end in an installed pulley 27, approximately in the plane of the motor pulley 15.

The bridge connecting the two housing is hollow and forms a housing for a belt drive 31 coupling the motor pulley to the pump pulley, whereby the pump is electrically isolated from the drive motor.

In a small chamber 32 formed in the upper end of the power unit 1 is a timer 33 coupled to an external control knob 34. The timer is included in the motor circuit whereby to automatically control the operation of the hydromassage unit. A manual shut off could be substituted if desired.

In accordance with conventional practice, air supplied to a jet head for introducing air bubbles into the jet stream, would normally be drawn in through an exposed snorkel type tube having an air intake adjustment at its upper end. This type of air intake is subject to accidental impact and damage and is eliminated in the preferred embodiment of the present invention by making use of the housing itself as an air intake passageway and installing a manually adjustable air intake valve 35 at a location in the wall of the housing, above contemplated water level in a tub.

A feature of considerable importance to the present invention is the manner of installing the hydromassage unit on the wall of a tub, to provide stability, even though the mounting wall be contoured on its inner side, as is the case with many tubs.

A hydromassage unit of the type with which the present invention is concerned, is positioned in straddling relationship on a wall 36 of a tub, with the pump and jet head assembly inside of the tub and spaced from the wall, and the power unit on the outside.

The wall 37 of the power unit housing, which, in its installed position of the unit, will lie in proximity to the tub wall, is provided with bumper means, preferably in the form of a pair of laterally spaced bumper buttons or knobs 38 for engagement with the outer surface of the mounting wall of the tub.

Slidable along the underside of the bridge and depending therefron, is a bracket clamp assembly 39. This clamp assembly involves a housing 41 with a locking bolt 43 extending vertically through the bottom end of this housing with its head 44 exposed. This bolt is of a length to protrude beyond the upper end of the housing, where it terminates in a threaded end.

This threaded end is adapted to pass through a longitudinal slot 49 formed in the lower wall of the bridge, and, with the upper end of the housing 41 in close proximity to the bridge, the bolt threads into a clamping nut 47 which spans the slot. The slot is preferably bordered by reinforcing ribs 50 and when such ribs are provided, the clamping nut will span these reinforcing ribs, which provide a smooth sliding track along which the clamp assembly may adjustably travel.

By rotation of the locking bolt in one direction, the bracket clamp assembly may be loosened for movement along the bridge, and by rotation of the bolt in the reverse direction, the clamp assembly may be locked at any adjusted position.

To preclude rotation of the nut with rotation of the bolt, the nut is provided with a plurality of teats 53 depending into the slot.

Since only a partial turn of the locking bolt is required to loosen the clamp assembly for adjustment, rotation of the bolt can be thus limited by providing the adjusting head with a pin 55 extending up into an arcuate slot 57 formed in the lower end of the clamp assembly housing.

Laterally spaced on the wall of the bracket housing facing the power unit housing, are a pair of bumper buttons or knobs 61, 63. Each is provided with a threaded stem and is installed in its proper position by threading it through the bracket housing which renders them individually adjustable. Adjustment is facilitated by affixing to the rear side or base of each of the bumper knobs, a fingertip adjustment control in the form of a scalloped disc 67.

After a hydromassage unit of the present invention is positioned in straddling relationship on a wall of a tub, it is shifted to bring the power unit bumpers into contact with the proximate side of the tub wall, following which, the clamping bracket assembly is moved into contact with the opposite side of the tub wall and locked in such position by rotation of the locking bolt. Each of the bumpers of the bracket assembly is then individually adjusted to bring it into pressure engagement with the tub wall and to thereby stabilize the installation.

For sucessful completion of such operation, it is imperative that the clamping bracket assembly housing should resist turning in response to individual adjustment of the associated bumper knobs, when conditions would normally permit of such turning. This is accomplished by a tab 69 extending up into the bridge slot from a wall of the clamping bracket assembly housing.

It will be appreciated that, whether the sides of the tub mounting wall are parallel or whether the inner side is contoured, will made little difference insofar as the present invention is concerned, because the individually adjustable bumper knobs of the clamping bracket assembly will sutomatically take care of any such situation, and with the hydromassage unit thus stabilized, the reaction forces developed by the jet stream will have little effect on the overall units and its mounting.

1. A hydromassage unit of the type adapted to straddle a wall of a tub for removable installation thereon comprising a power unit including a housing, a pump jet head assembly including a housing, a hollow bridge connecting said power unit housing and said pump and jet head assembly housing, drive means coupling said power unit to said pump through said bridge, bumper means on that wall of said power unit housing which faces the mounting wall of a tub when said hydromassage unit is installed, and adapted to contact such mounting wall, a clamping bracket assembly including meansfor supporting same from said bridge for movement longitudinally of said bridge, and means for locking said clamping bracket assembly at selected positions therealong.

2. A hydromassage unit in accordance with claim 1, characterized by said clamping bracket assembly including a pair of spaced apart bumper knobs facing said power unit.

3. A hydromassage unit in accordance with claim 2, characterized by each of said bumper knobs being adjustable with respect to said housing to accommodate said clamping bracket assembly to a mounting wall having a contoured side.

4. A hydromassage unit in accordance with claim 3, characterized by a disc affixed to the base end of each of said bumper knobs, said disc being of larger diameter than its bumper knobs and having a scalloped edge for finger engagement.

5. A hydromassage unit in accordance with claim 1, characterized by said hollow bridge having a longitudinal slot in the bottom thereof, and said clamping bracket assembly including a housing, a bolt passing up through said housing and said slot, and a nut threaded onto said bolt and spanning said slot.

6. A hydromassage unit in accordance with claim 5, characterized bu a pair of spaced apart bumper knobs on said clamping bracket assembly housing and facing said power unit. 

1. A hydromassage unit of the type adapted to straddle a wall of a tub for removable installation thereon comprising a power unit including a housing, a pump jet head assembly including a housing, a hollow bridge connecting said power unit housing and said pump and jet head assembly housing, drive means coupling said power unit to said pump through said bridge, bumper means on that wall of said power unit housing which faces the mounting wall of a tub when said hydromassage unit is installed, and adapted to contact such mounting wall, a clamping bracket assembly including means for supporting same from said bridge for movement longitudinally ofsaid bridge, and means for locking said clamping bracket assembly at selected positions therealong.
 2. A hydromassage unit in accordance with claim 1, characterized by said clamping bracket assembly including a pair of spaced apart bumper knobs facing said power unit.
 3. A hydromassage unit in accordance with claim 2, characterized by each of said bumper knobs being adjustable with respect to said housing to accommodate said clamping bracket assembly to a mounting wall having a contoured side.
 4. A hydromassage unit in accordance with claim 3, characterized by a disc affixed to the base end of each of said bumper knobs, said disc being of larger diameter than its bumper knobs and having a scalloped edge for finger engagement.
 5. A hydromassage unit in accordance with claim 1, characterized by said hollow bridge having a longitudinal slot in the bottom thereof, and said clamping bracket assembly including a housing, a bolt passing up through said housing and said slot, and a nut threaded onto said bolt and spanning said slot.
 6. A hydromassage unit in accordance with claim 5, characterized bu a pair of spaced apart bumper knobs on said clamping bracket assembly housing and facing said power unit. 